World Radio Day – the guardian of audio history and the medium that enjoys the highest trust from the audience.
On this day, World Radio Day is celebrated, a medium in which, as research shows, the audience has the highest level of trust.
This day was officially proclaimed as World Radio Day by UNESCO in 2011, and it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, as it marks the day in 1946 when United Nations Radio began broadcasting.
UNESCO emphasizes that today is a day to thank radio broadcasters for the news they deliver, the voices they empower, and the stories they share, as well as to reflect on a new chapter opened by artificial intelligence.
With this year's slogan "AI is a tool, not a voice," UNESCO stated that this chapter in history is significant not only for innovations but also for deepening the connection with listeners.
"When used ethically and responsibly, as a support for professional judgment, creativity, and reporting in the public interest, AI can become an ally in strengthening audience trust. Technology itself does not build trust; radio journalists and radio stations do," UNESCO noted.
For years, the media with the highest trust
Reports from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have shown that radio is a type of media that has enjoyed the highest audience trust for years. Last year was no exception.
According to the EBU report "Trust in Media" from 2025, in the global media landscape, where trust in media is relatively low and where 61% of countries have more distrust in media than trust, radio is the type of media that enjoys trust in 81% of countries in Europe.
Only traditional media—radio, television, and print media—have a positive level of trust among citizens, while the internet has a negative trust level. Among them, radio stands out as the medium with the highest level of trust.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) thanked all journalists and media workers in radio today for their dedication, stating that they play a crucial role in delivering news.
"Thank you for the important information you convey, often from remote and hard-to-reach areas, enabling communities to make informed decisions. Thank you for connecting people and keeping communities linked through your work," stated the IFJ.
Radio in Serbia
Journalistic voices were first heard on the air in Serbia in 1924, when Radio Belgrade first broadcast from the radio telegraphic station in Rakovica on October 1, 1924.
According to Radio-Television of Serbia, concerts, news readings, service information, advertisements, water levels, and stock exchange reports were broadcast every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 6:45 PM to 7:45 PM.
While news for Radio Belgrade was created by journalists from "Politika" and "Dnevne novosti," the music segment of the program was managed by the Belgrade Opera's directorate.
The dedication of radio journalists is also reflected in the fact that Duško Radović walked every morning from the outskirts to Terazije, listening to the night and morning shift workers at "Kasina," and by 7:15 AM he would awaken the city from the top of Beograđanka with the greeting "Belgrade, good morning."
Source: UNS
